The Summer of Learning
by Darious
Summary: A summer of knowledge and magic for Harry Potter. HP/DM SLASH
1. Chapter 1

THE SUMMER OF WISDOM

By Kimberjingle

CHAPTER 1

Harry wiped the drops of sweat off his forehead with the bottom of his oversized t-shirt, but it didn't do much good. The soggy shirt was saturated with a days worth of sweat. Damn, it was hot. Crossing his arms and tugging the t-shirt up and over his head, he closed his eyes briefly to relish the feel of fresh air hitting his tired body. Harry tossed the shirt over a freshly built handrail of the back deck he was working on. Harry's Uncle Vernon had decided that a nice little deck on the back of the house would be a wonderful addition to their home. Remembering when the estimates of the job had come in the mail, Harry just knew that the blue vein in Vernon's forehead would burst when he saw the cost.

"No way in hell I'm paying those shoddy bums that much!" Vernon had grumbled. "Look at this" he continued as he thrust the paper into Petunia's hands and pointed to it. "...and that much is for the labor alone!"

Petunia squinted at the numbers on the page and looked up. "Vernon, the Polkisses have had their sundeck for about two years. As I remember it, Gladys said that John had done a lot of the work himself, and the cost was minimal. Maybe we could ask her if...."

"Ha! That lazy waste of a man?" Vernon snapped as he curled his lips in a snarl. "Hmmmph! He doesn't have two cents worth of brains. He'd screw it all up and I've already paid for the blueprint plans for the deck." Vernon continued his mumbling as he made his way to the sofa while Petunia was clearing the dinner dishes off the table. "...costing that much...what we need around here is some free labor...." Vernon's face lit up as the dawn of an idea broke. "PETUNIA!" he shouted.

"Vernon, are you alright?" Petunia came scrambling into the den almost tripping on the rug.

"I've got the perfect plan," he drawled at the questioning look on her face. "It's time for that miserable piece of shit to make himself useful around here. He's been lying around like a king for a week, buried in those stupid books, and closed up in his room." Vernon's eyes sparkled at the thought of getting free work out of anybody. He rounded to Petunia with an evil grin. "The fresh air will do him some good."

Well, that was almost a week ago. The lumber had been delivered and the plans were laid out on a sheet of ply board between two rails so that Harry could read them. For the last two summers Harry had helped Mr. Bell from number 7 Privet Drive with odd jobs occasionally, and a few of those had been carpentry. Harry really liked working with the wood and kneading it with his hands. The feeling of great accomplishment it gave him to finish a project was really worth more than the bit of cash he got, well that, and the opportunity to be out of the house and away from Dudley. Harry had been almost glad when Uncle Vernon had made him build the deck, but he would never tell his uncle that. Nothing that made Harry happy could ever be allowed to exist in the Dursley's home.

The deck was almost complete with only a few side rails left to attach. It was after six o'clock and Harry heard the back screen open. His head popped up to see his aunt, with arms folded, and spoke to him through gritted teeth.

"Get washed up! You're not sitting at the dinner table smelling like you do." Then, just as quickly, she had turned back into the kitchen.

After retrieving all the scattered tools and placing them into the shed, putting away the nail bucket, and moving a few stray wood scraps, Harry walked up onto the deck, inspecting it and smiled at his accomplishment. It was almost finished. He beamed a large smile and walked into the kitchen.

After shutting the screen as quietly as he could and turning around...WHAM! A large, beefy, hand smacked his left upper jaw and his eye sending him tumbling over a counter whose edge slammed hard into his ribcage as his cheek hit the corner of the top cabinet. Upon hitting the floor with his eyes tightly shut, the full shot of hot pain ran thru his body and his eyes flickered open to find a fist and a fat finger pointing directly at his nose.

"Don't you dare walk into this house with that smug expression on your face, you ungrateful little shit!" Vernon spat. "And when your aunt tells you it's time for dinner, you do as you are told and come that instant! I will have none of your attitude, boy. Do you understand me?"

Harry, having known his uncle for many miserable years, he slowly nodded his understanding. Vernon turned to head the dinner table, and Harry got up and made his way to his room. He picked up a fresh t-shirt and a clean pair of sweatpants and headed to the bathroom. After a 5-minute shower, as he toweled off his body and began to dress, he noted his reflection in the full-length mirror. He ran a finger over the purple bruise forming on his cheek and under his eye. His hand cupped the swollen spot on his ribcage where there was a sweeping spot of purple. 'Probably a few cracked ribs, nothing major and not as bad as last time' he thought.

Harry quickly dressed and headed down to the dinner table. The Dursleys all gave him a small sneer as he sat down to his plate of mashed potatoes, boiled carrots, and a slice of ham. They continued their meaningless conversations as Harry ate in silence; but his mind was blurring with thoughts. He had only been here for three weeks and the smacks and shoves had already started. 'But what can I do? I have to stay here, Dumbledore said so.' Shaking his head to clear his thoughts of the depression of it all, he cleaned his plate and put his and the others in the sink. Another good thing about working on the deck all day in the hot sun was that, besides his tan that he was somewhat proud of, Harry was always very tired and that kept him from having the nightmares. Sleep came easier with the physical work and the mental work that Harry was expected to do before bedtime every night on Dumbledore's orders.

Since the botched attempt at teaching Harry Occlumency last term, Dumbledore had given Harry two volumes of text on the subject and some assignments so that Harry continue his study during the summer. He was more interested in his Occlumency now that Snape wasn't the teacher, and the more he learned and practiced, the more he found himself clearing his mind many times during the day.

Night was the critical time that Harry had to relax and practice the most. Before bed each night, he sat on his bed with his eyes closed and hummed a small 'hmmm' to coax himself into a trancelike state. Usually the trance would last about an hour or so. During this time is when Harry melted into himself. He concentrated on the magic running thru his very veins, the beat of his heart, his breathing, and the stillness. It was bliss.

A heavy thump to his sore ribs and feathers on his face woke Harry around dawn. With a small groan, he sat up lazily noticing the lingering pain of his ribs. 'Definitely cracked' he thought .It was a brown, tawny, barn owl. 'Who is this from?' Harry scratched the unfamiliar owl's head and ran his hand down her back as she nuzzled under his forearm. A letter from Hogwarts was attached to her leg; he quickly untied the letter and reached for an owl treat to give to the friendly bird. With the letter in hand, he got up off his bed and slumped into the rickety chair at his desk. Unfolding the letter, he recognized the handwriting as Dumbledore's and a wave of panic flooded over him...'This can't be good if he's writing me during the summer. What has Voldemort done now? I wonder if everyone's ok...Ron? Hermione? Oh God...' His thoughts trailed off as he started to read.

H,

I do hope you are continuing to practice your lessons. Your skill in that particular subject is indeed needed. There have been some developments, as of late, of which I believe you should be aware. The nature of these occurrences prevents me from revealing them in this post. Upon speaking to a few of our mutual friends, I feel it necessary for you to spend the remainder of the summer holidays with someone who will be able to help you further in your studies, and be able to tutor you in several more areas that may be needed in the near future. Please owl me upon receiving this post, and you will be collected tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock.

Hoping you are well,

D

When it comes to being vague, Dumbledore was truly a master. However, having been around him and knowing him as Harry did, it was possible to read between the lines. Basically this letter said two things to Harry: the first is that something has happened involving Voldemort and the second is that the Order of the Phoenix, or 'mutual friends' as the old man called them, believes that Harry needs some skills that are required to be taught to him now rather than later.

Overall, Harry's reaction to the letter was mild. Of course, leaving the Dursleys for the remaining two months of the summer would be absolutely great, but Dumbledore never mentioned where he would be going or who this person or teacher would be that would be guiding him over his studies. Excitement mixed with worry flooded Harry's mind. 'I guess I should tell them that I'll be leaving. I'll wait until 9:55 a.m., and then I'm out of here!' Harry grinned at the thought.

A bit later Harry heard Dudley stomping down the stairs; Harry knew breakfast was probably ready. He closed his trunk carefully over his belongings. He grinned at the thought that he was already packed to leave and the Dursley's didn't even know it yet. He quickly bounced down the stairs with a crooked smile on his face and slid into his normal chair at the breakfast table. He picked up his fork, ate his eggs, and kept glancing at the clock over the refrigerator. It was 8:30 a.m., only an hour and a half to go. When the eggs were gone, Harry washed the few breakfast dishes and put them away. Only one hour to go. While trying to pretend nothing was out of the ordinary, Harry slipped out the back door to finish nailing the few last remaining pieces onto the handrails of the steps on the deck. He was a perfectionist and he liked to finish his carpentry work to the best of his ability. When the last nail was in place, Harry gathered the tools, placed them all neatly in the toolbox and swept the deck of all the sawdust. Looking down at his watch, he saw it was already 10:06. 'Oh crap...'

Placing the broom next to the back door, Harry slowly made his way into the kitchen listening to the sound of voices. Upon turning the corner, he was stunned to see none other than the Headmaster standing in the Living Room between uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. With a welcoming gesture, Dumbledore waved his hand in a motioning way as he made his way over to where Harry stood rooted to the spot. "Harry, my boy, do come in. Your aunt and uncle have been telling me of your building project in the back lawn. I should most like to see it."

Uncle Vernon pushed his lips together in a tight sneer and his eyes glared in that

'how-dare-you-bring-one-of-these-freaks-in-my-house' kind of way, while aunt Petunia looked back and forth between a panicked Harry and a livid Vernon.

"Yes, sir. Of…of course, sir. This way." Harry slowly led the way for Dumbledore thru the kitchen. The aged man was looking around amused at all these 'muggle-contraptions' and he was sure he heard the old man mutter something like 'splendid' when he saw the microwave. Harry lead his Headmaster out onto the wooden deck, down the two long stairs and out into the small space of lawn so that the whole deck could be seen at one time. Dumbledore walked onto the lawn and gazed over the whole deck with what looked like appreciation and awe without speaking a word for a long time.

"You have done a remarkable thing here, Harry. Working with a gift from the earth and molding it to create a good work with your hands and without magic is not an easy thing, and especially for a wizard. Sometimes we rely on magic too much, I think." Dumbledore laid an appreciative hand on Harry's shoulder and nodded to him.

"Thank you, sir." Harry said with a small grin. That one compliment from his mentor meant more than any compliment that the Dursleys could ever have given him. Of course, they would never compliment Harry, but if they did, it could not ever mean as much as what Dumbledore had spoken.

When back in the living room, Harry stood by Dumbledore and nervously fingered the sides of his jeans, waiting for the old man to speak to his aunt and uncle who walked nervously over to the pair of wizards.

Folding his hands in front of him and bringing himself up to a formal position, Dumbledore said

"I am here to collect Harry for the remainder of the summer so that he may continue some in-depth studies with a very strict teacher who has agreed to dedicate himself wholly to the task. If neither of you, as his guardians, objects, of course."

Petunia eyed the old man with an unreadable expression and turned to Vernon, who had a similar expression. Harry's uncle gave a pained little chuckle.

"Should have known you'd be falling behind in your studies, boy. You never were much for learning anything. I'm glad they have a strict teacher that will be able to knock some sense into you."

Harry just stared at his uncle and took the insult.

"Oh yes, I'm sure Harry will be studying very hard over the summer, Mr. Dursley. Harry has never been taught by this teacher, and I'm sure his methods will surprise young Harry."

Harry cringed inside and looked up at Dumbledore who gave him a tiny wink and lowered his head to look at Harry over those half moon spectacles while never losing that twinkle in his eyes.

"If there's nothing else, then we should be off. Harry, do you have your trunk prepared?"

Dumbledore asked. Harry nodded. "Well, gather your things and we shall be going."

"Yes, sir." With that, Harry went to his room, gathered his trunk, Hedwig's cage, and his Firebolt and came downstairs with them in tow.

Dumbledore smiled, and then said, "Harry, if you would, please cast a non-detectable magic penetrating spell on this room, and shrink your belongings. We will have to apparate from here inside the house as to not upset the muggle neighborhood."

Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon stepped back as Harry drew his wand. Aunt Petunia grabbed Vernon's arm and stood near him. Harry walked around the room casting the spell in glee as he'd never been allowed to do magic in the house before, and the look on his aunt and uncle made it that more pleasant. He grinned in spite as he purposely came very close to them while casting the spell. When the ward was cast and finished, he shrank his belongings, put them in his pocket, and came over to stand near Dumbledore.

"Very good, Harry. Very good, indeed." Dumbledore then cocked his head and asked Harry. "Is there anything you wish to say to your aunt and uncle? You won't be seeing them until after this school year ends"

"Please tell Hedwig to come and find me when she comes back. She will be able to find me wherever I am. And have a nice summer." Harry smiled at his aunt and uncle, and turned back to Dumbledore. "I'm ready, sir."

"Please feel free to owl Harry with any correspondence you may wish to send addressed to Hogwarts" Dumbledore spoke to Petunia.

Harry gave a questioning look at Dumbledore and said "Hogwarts? Sir, who is to be my teacher over the summer?"

With a genuine smile at the young lad, Dumbledore said, "Me. Good day to you both."

With a hand on Harry's shoulder, they both disapparated.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

The Summer of Learning.

Darious

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter series, its characters, settings, and derived plot belong to J.K Rowling, Scholastic, and Time Warner. I gain no money from this publication and take no credit.

CHAPTER 2

With a pop, Harry and Dumbledore appeared in a small, dark room. With his hand still on Harry's shoulder, Dumbledore guided him to the door and opened it. Immediately the light and familiar hustle and bustle of the Hogshead Inn was heard.

Dumbledore took the lead and strolled, there was no other word for it, thru the surly bar with Harry following. Harry, in shock with the knowledge that he would be staying at Hogwarts for the entire summer with Dumbledore as his teacher was the best feeling in the whole world. They walked in silence down the street of Hogsmeade and turned into the sweet shop. With a wink to Harry, they entered the shop and browsed the many treats until Dumbledore had a sack full of his favorites. Harry decided to pick up a few things himself and they paid for their candies and left the shop.

"If knowledge is food to the mind, then candy must be the sustenance of humor. Even a simple thing as a sweet can brighten one's day. Don't you agree, Harry?" Dumbledore said while merrily poking a sherbet lemon into his mouth.

"Sir, you are going to be my teacher for the entire summer? At Hogwarts? Last time I studied Occlumency with Professor Snape. Is there some reason that you have decided to teach me yourself?" Harry questioned.

"Professor Snape has another obligation during the summer, and even though he will be present at Hogwarts, this was my idea. There will be only one other student on the grounds along with you, Professor Snape, and myself. I should hope you won't get bored being in the company of an old man, Harry." Dumbledore said quietly.

Harry looked up into his eyes and said "Oh. No, sir. I was just thinking that....well...with Professor Snape's duties for the...."

"That's enough for now, Harry. Let's get to the Hogshead Inn and take the Floo to my office where we can discuss the matter more privately." Dumbledore rounded the corner and Harry followed down the sidewalk and into the Inn.

After taking the Floo to Dumbledore's office, Harry stepped out of the fireplace, walked across the room, and stood in front of Dumbledore's desk. No matter how many times Harry was in this office, it never ceased to amaze him. All the silvery gadgets around the room, the great number of active portraits along the walls, and the large windows spilling in the morning light all were a welcome of what Harry had come to know as home. Hogwarts was always the same. The sorting hat sat on the shelf near the sword of Godric Gryffindor that Harry had already familiarized himself with in second year. Fawkes was perched on his stand and eyed Harry with what one could only call a welcome flick of feathers. While taking notice of everything in the room, Harry noticed a small glass orb sat on the corner of Dumbledore's desk. Knowing never to touch an unknown magical object, Harry leaned over to inspect the curious object. Swirls of blue and silver looking air danced around inside the small glass ball.

Hearing the rustling of the bag of sweets being poured into a bowl, Harry turned around to the Headmaster. Dumbledore finished with the bag of candy, took off his hat and came to sit behind his desk. Waving a hand to Harry to sit, Dumbledore leaned comfortably back into his large chair and with a lazy sigh began to speak.

"The days of summer here at Hogwarts are some of the most beautiful; however, with the students gone, no one gets to enjoy them. I am sure you can find plenty of things to do while we are not busy with our lessons. Now, is there anything you wish to ask now that we are here?"

Harry was bursting inside with questions, and in a few seconds, he had organized them in some order. "Sir, what is the real reason I am here at Hogwarts for the summer? Is there something that has occurred with Voldemort that I should be made aware?"

Steepling his fingers in front of his chin, Dumbledore stared at Harry for a moment. "After the prophesy was destroyed in the Ministry of Magic and some of the most powerful Death Eaters were sent to Azkaban, Voldemort has not been very active. I suspect that he is regrouping his inner circle and working on attaining even more supporters to carry out his next mission. Voldemort will not act until he is confident that his plans can be carried through and he cannot do much without what he would deem as 'loyal' supporters. This lull in his activity gives the Order a bit more freedom to focus on some things that need to be set into motion. Of course, you know, Harry, that Voldemort is still very determined to have you."

Harry nodded and waited for Dumbledore to continue. With another sigh, Dumbledore continued. "Harry, there is a reason why a wizard child comes to Hogwarts for the first time at eleven years old. At the age of eleven, a child's magic changes into a useable form that he or she can learn to control. With training and guidance, the child learns to use the magic that is within them. Another change occurs in a person's magical strength around the age of sixteen. This boost of strength is the sign of full magical maturity and it is called the "descension." Young witches and wizards each go thru the descension at different times, but always around sixteen. You have already crossed that threshold and your magical ability has increased vastly."

Listening to every word of his Headmaster, Harry asked abruptly, "Sir, how do you know that my magical ability has increased? My birthday is not until July."

With a small smile, Dumbledore replied, "I had you undo the wards at the Dursley's to gauge your magical presence and strength. To tell you the truth, there are only two other people I've ever known to have such strength in their descension as you. One of those was Tom Riddle."

Harry's jaw dropped. Harry wondered what all this meant. He cocked his head to one side and asked "Professor, does a person's magical strength at the start of their descension diminish during their lifetime, does it get stronger, or stay the same?"

"A very good question, Harry. A wizard's magical powers after their descension in most cases stay the same. Even though the amount of magic differs slightly with each wizard child, it is enough for it to function quite normally in the wizarding world. However..."

Harry thought 'now why do I always know there is a 'however' in there somewhere....'

Dumbledore continued "...there are wizards known who's magic increases throughout their lives. These are rare individuals and special training must be given to them for their own safety, as well as the safety of others around them. As you know, emotions are a hard thing to predict and to control. If such a wizard with great power couldn't control his actions and emotions, the potential for disaster could be great. On the other hand, if one such wizard harnesses the raw magic in him and tunes it into his particular abilities, it is of much benefit."

Knowing the answer to his question before he even asked it, Harry raised his eyebrow and questioned, "Sir, are you telling me that I am one such wizard?"

With a great smile and most tender voice, Dumbledore slowly said, "Did you expect any less? I have known this for years, but there was no reason to tell you until your descension." Dumbledore lowered his eyes to the floor for a brief moment, and then returned his gaze to Harry with somber eyes. "There are many things you need to learn and there is limited time. I will not lie to you, Harry. Voldemort continues to increase his number of supporters daily. Thanks to confidential information the Order has obtained, we believe we can somewhat ascertain what Voldemort is planning for the coming year."

Harry just gazed at the floor. 'Preparing me for battle' he thought. 'This is it. This is the year that it will be either him or me. Him or me.' Thinking back on the prophesy that Dumbledore had told him of his birth and his destiny, he recounted in his head '...neither can live while the other survives...'

In his interest, Harry had unknowingly found himself leaning over the desk, arms folded, and looking onto the wood grain of the desktop. Harry raised his head to look directly into Dumbledore's eyes. Neither had spoken for several minutes, but gazing into those clear blue eyes, Harry found answers and a calm settled over him.

It was Harry who broke the silence. "Professor, you said that that two people that you have known had such strength at their descension and that one of those was Tom Riddle. Besides me, who is the other?"

Dumbledore leaned over the desk and folded his arms barely a few inches from Harry's face. "I think you already know."

After a moment of silence, Harry answered. "It's you."

Leaning back to his comfortable chair, Dumbledore stated, "I was aware in my youth, that my magic was somewhat stronger than my classmates. I had very limited special tutoring, but enough to help me learn to channel my strength. My professors helped me as much as they could with controlling my emotions and harnessing any anger. Of course, I didn't have much trouble with emotional control, as my very nature has a mild temperament and my young life was unfettered with such cruelty and loss as yours, young Harry. I have watched you over the years here at Hogwarts, more that you could possibly know. I have seen you grow into a remarkable young man. You have made me so proud of you. Your courage and your ability to use what you have learned to defeat evil repeatedly never ceases to amaze me. However, while living through the things that you did, Harry, you became bitter, and a very angry young man and rightfully so. You have every reason to be angry at what has transpired in your tender years. Your very childhood was taken by Voldemort and a great burden was yoked on your small shoulders at only eleven years old."

Dumbledore rubbed his temples, took off his glasses, and put them on the desk. He gently rubbed his eyes, which were just barely moist. He folded his hands in his lap and looked at his young charge. Harry leaned back in his chair with no emotion whatsoever. The sun was overhead now and the light and shadows in Dumbledore's office had changed.

"Harry, you will stay in your same room over the summer. We will begin your studies tomorrow after breakfast. There are a number of things that I'm sure you have questions about, but we will wait until tomorrow to answer those. I just want you to take the rest of the day to settle in. Oh yes, before you ask, you will be allowed to fly in the Quidditch pitch at your leisure, and to explore the castle as you wish on your free time. All standard school rules apply, such as curfew at 10pm and not venturing into the forest. You will be allowed access to any part of the castle except Professor Snape's personal quarters and the other house's common rooms."

"Thank you, sir." It was almost lunchtime, and he was hungry. If there were no students in the summer, would he have to go to the kitchens for lunch? "Professor, since there are only the four of us here at Hogwarts for the summer, will we still be taking meals in the Dining Hall, or do we need to go to the kitchens?"

With a light laugh, the Headmaster stood and came around to lay a hand on Harry's shoulder, "Ah the blessing of youth. Yes, Harry we will meet for regular meals in the Dining Hall, however there will only be three of us here tonight. The other student will be arriving in three days and will have three classes per week with us. But tonight it will be you, Professor Snape, and I."

Smiling at Dumbledore, Harry thought, 'Great...dinner with Snape every night...I can hardly wait.' The pair made their way out of the Headmaster's office and were walking toward the Dining Hall when Harry asked.

"Sir, who is the other student that will be here over the summer?"

Dumbledore stopped and turned to face Harry and looked down at him. "That other student would be Draco Malfoy."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N – I'm kinda disregarding book 6&7. I didn't care for HBP and I couldn't even finish DH.

CHAPTER 3

Lunch with Dumbledore and Professor Snape wasn't as bad as Harry had thought it could have been. There was always an air of formality required of a student where Snape was concerned, so Harry decided to make it easy on himself by only speaking when spoken to and being polite as necessary. After a great meal, all three rose to leave when Dumbledore regarded Harry and said, "You may owl your friends if you wish, but there will be no time for visits during the summer. However, you may stay with the Weasleys for the last two weeks of summer before term begins if you desire. Now, I will leave you to have the rest of the day to yourself."

As Harry made his way to the hall he heard Dumbledore speaking, "Severus, a moment of your time, please."

Not wanting to listen, Harry walked down the corridor making his way toward the Gryffindor common room. Even though Harry had been down these halls for years now, it was odd knowing that there were only three people in the entire castle. There were no bustling students, classroom chatter, crowding in the hall...nothing. Only the sound of Harry's footsteps echoing down the hall could be heard. Harry smiled at this knowledge and began to run and shouting gleefully. The castle was all his.

As he came to the Fat Lady's portrait, he remembered he didn't know the password. When he took the last step up to her, she smiled. "Mr. Potter it will be lovely to have you during the summer. It can be quite lonely during the summer months. I will let you choose your own password until the beginning of term."

Happy at this news, Harry thought for a few minutes at what his password would be. It would have to be something that nobody could figure out. But why? There was no one here to figure it out really. So he said the most logical choice of password, "I think I'd like for my password to be my name. Is that okay?"

The Fat Lady just shook her head and said, "Very original, Potter. Nevertheless, since there is no one here but you anyway, I guess that will be fine. Password then, please."

Harry squared his shoulders, gave a great smile and said his own name, "Harry Potter."

Except for the lack of fire in the fireplace, the common room looked the same as it always did. The windows were all half open and a breeze was flowing thru the room. 'The house elves had done a great job with cleaning the place', he thought. Harry stretched his arms out on each side of him, spun around, and around with his eyes closed. 'All this to myself. This is going to be great!' He strode up the stairs to the boys dormitory and went straight to his room. It was always warm and inviting, but without his other dorm mates and none of their personal belongings there, it felt odd. Harry took the small luggage out of his pocket. With a swish of his wand, his trunk and all it contained, his Firebolt and Hedwig's cage were restored to full size. Harry spent an hour or so unpacking and settling in a bit. Then he decided this was a great day for flying and in 15 minutes time he had mounted his Firebolt on headed to the Quidditch pitch. With the wind sweeping thru his hair, it felt marvelous. Of all the things in the world, there was nothing better than the ability to fly. Not one thing compared to the freedom Harry felt on a broom when soaring thru the sky. Nothing could touch him when he was on his Firebolt. All the cares in the world were shed like an old cloak and left on the ground. Up here in the clouds was Harry's domain and he loved every minute of it. After two hours of practicing maneuvers, and playing an imaginary game of Quidditch, Harry was all sweaty and decided to make his way back to the castle. With his broom perched over his shoulder, Harry walked along the path. When a cool breeze blew on his back, he decided to sit for a moment on the beautiful manicured lawn. He looked over the beautiful green grounds. This was home. He gazed at the clouds and felt a tickle on his fingers. A little green snake not more than 6 inches long was scurrying over his hand to some unknown destination.

With his best manners and his parseltongue ability, he kindly spoke to the little creature "Hello, my name is Harry. Where are you going?"

Obviously startled to have something speaking to it, the little creature looked around and up to Harry. With a few swishes of its tongue, the little snake began to speak. "Hello, Harry. My name is Sasha. I am hunting crickets. How is it that you speak to me? None of your kind has spoken to me before."

Even though the castle is great all to yourself, it is always nice to have someone to talk with. "Nice to meet you, Sasha. You should know that very few of my kind are able to speak to you...in your language anyway. Do you mind if I hold you in my hand?"

Sasha answered, "No Harry you have the Light, I know I can trust you."

Intrigued at Sasha's answer, Harry gently let Sasha curl up in his hand and lifted her up to his face so that he could see her better. "What do you mean when you say I have the Light? Do you mean the color of my skin?"

Sasha made a sound that could only be construed as a snake giggle. "No, silly. I see the Light behind your eyes. It is truth that lives there. I can sense it on your skin and hear it in your voice. All creatures have senses to protect them against danger. Do you posses none of these senses, Harry?"

Harry thought for a moment. "Well, I suppose I do know when something will hurt me, or when I will get into trouble. Although sometimes I don't have the good sense to get out of the way. Sasha, I have to go back to my room now, and I suppose you will want to go hunt your crickets, hmm?"

Sasha uncurled from around Harry's wrist and moved back into his hand. "Yes, Harry. My meal awaits me in the grass. It was very nice talking to you. I live under the pile of rocks over there at the edge of the forest. Please come visit me again if you wish."

Harry gently let Sasha out of his hand and onto the grass. Harry smiled and told Sasha that he would like that very much and he watched her slither away. Dusting the grass off his legs, he set off for the castle.

After a nice long shower, Harry decided to write letters to Ron and Hermione telling them where he was. Digging out his parchment, ink and quill, he sat down on what would normally be Ron's bed.

_Ron,_

_You won't believe where I'm spending the summer. You will never guess. Let me give you a hint...I'm sitting on what you spend more time on than anything else. Give up? I'm at Hogwarts and I'm sitting on your bed right now. Strange huh? All I know is that Dumbledore came to get me from the Dursleys yesterday and I'm going to be learning some additional things during the summer with Dumbledore. I don't know what I'll be studying yet, but my classes start tomorrow. The only people here for the summer are me, Dumbledore, Snape and one other student arriving in two days._

_It's very odd to be here without you. The Headmaster says you can write me here, and that I will be able to spend the last two weeks with you at the Burrow if that's okay. He also said that there couldn't be any visitors here during the summer session, so I guess I'll have to just see you before the term starts. I went down to the Quidditch pitch today with the Firebolt and had a great work out. I hope I'm able to come up with some new plays for the team this year. Feel free to write me any time, because it gets kind of lonely without you here._

_Later,_

_Harry_

Harry rolled the parchment up, magically sealed it, and set it aside. One down, one to go. He wrote Hermione's letter in the same fashion, but left out the part about Quidditch, seeing it was unnecessary because Hermione wasn't a big fan anyway. Since Hedwig was nowhere to be found, Harry head down to the owlery. Tying the two letters each to a different owl and telling them to whom to deliver them, Harry let them go from the window. Harry left the owlery and strolled the halls slowly, enjoying the quiet stillness. He rounded a corner and saw the tail end of the Grey Lady; she was heading in the direction of the Ravenclaw common room. After a long walk, it was almost time for supper, so he made his way toward the Great Hall.

The Great Hall was cleared of the normal long house tables, and in the center of the hall was a single round table with four armed chairs around it. With Dumbledore, Snape and Harry there, one seat remained empty. Harry remembered. Malfoy was coming. The great prat! Of all the people Harry didn't want to see during the summer holidays, the top two would be with him at every meal. After a filling meal of roast beef, boiled potatoes, green salad and bread pudding, Harry sat lazily in his chair as he listened to Professor Snape telling Dumbledore about some potions he was concocting. One of which was an unstable potion that required the utmost care. Harry noticed that the Potions Master, who was normally void of any emotion, other than a hateful sneer to Gryffindors, spoke with almost excitement and pride at his undertaking. It was surprising really to see this side of him, Harry thought.

After finishing off his glass of milk, he turned to Dumbledore and when Professor Snape finished his last sentence, Harry said, "Excuse me, sir, may I be excused?"

"Of course, Harry. We will be starting your lessons tomorrow after breakfast. But before you go to bed I have a riddle for you that I'd like for you to think about." With a swish of his wand, a little piece of parchment appeared on the table, and Dumbledore read it to Harry.

"_The thing all things devour:_

_Birds, trees, beasts, flowers_

_gnaws iron, bites steel_

_grinds hard stones to meal;_

_slays kings, ruins towns,_

_And beats high mountains down._

"I hope you will be able to come up with the answer on your own. Have a nice night, Harry." Dumbledore handed Harry the parchment with the riddle on it. With a belly full of food, and a mind full of an impossible riddle, Harry nodded goodnight to the pair of Professors and made his way up to his dorm room. Harry put on his pajamas and lay down on his bed with the riddle in his hand.

He thought aloud. "Hmm… all things devour...slays kings...beats mountains down. Well maybe water...all things need water and it would be able to ruin a town in a flood. But it wouldn't slay kings, would it?" Harry rubbed his forehead with his hand, thought, and thought about what could be the answer. He thought so much, he hardly felt himself drifting off to sleep.

A light breeze was blowing through the open window and even before Harry opened his eyes, he remembered he was at Hogwarts. He was home. His eyelids fluttered open and looked thru the open window. It was after dawn and a glance at his watch showed it was just after 6 am. Breakfast was in 2 hours, so Harry had plenty of time to get dressed. After putting on his glasses, he slung back his covers, and noticed as the little parchment with the riddle on it fell onto the floor. Harry read it one more time. '...beats high mountains down.' I don't know anything that would do that. Surely, it would happen after a very long time...a very long time. Time. Time is the answer. All things devour it in their lifetimes, it has the ability to eat away at iron and steel, it eventually grinds stones to meal, time takes away a bit of a person everyday...yes, yes that's it. It must be Time.'

Thoroughly satisfied that he'd found the answer to one of Dumbledore's riddles, the day was looking brighter. Harry figured since the whole of Hogwarts wasn't here, there would be no use for formal school robes today, so he made do with a pair of jeans and a navy blue t-shirt. Teeth brushed, hair combed (I still don't know why I bother, he thought), and everything else finished, Harry tied the laces of his shoes, picked up his wand, stuffed the parchment with the riddle on it in his pocket, and headed down and toward the Dining Hall in a leisurely fashion.

Entering the Dining Hall, Dumbledore was already seated and looked up as Harry came in. "Ah, my boy. I trust you slept well?"

"Yes, sir. It's wonderful to be back at home in my own bed. At least I feel like Hogwarts is more home to me than the Dursley's could ever be."

"We do grow fond of these walls through the years, don't we? Years of learning and thousands of students have walked these halls in search of knowledge. Some in search of knowledge that they will never find." There was a brief pause as Dumbledore looked on as if pondering the universe. "But no matter, did you find time to study the puzzle which I gave you last night, Harry?"

"Yes, Professor. I thought about it a great deal before I fell asleep."

"Well, that's alright, Harry. You had a long day yesterday and I should have known you would be too tired to ponder the mysteries of an old man's mind."

"But sir, I think I have the answer." Harry picked the parchment out of his pocket and began to read it to the Headmaster.

"The thing all things devour: Birds, trees, beasts, flowers, gnaws iron, bites steel, grinds hard stones to meal; slays kings, ruins towns, And beats high mountains down." Looking up into Dumbledore's eyes, Harry said, "Sir, I think the correct answer is Time, for only time can achieve all these things."

Dumbledore set his cup of tea on the saucer, leaned back in his chair, and studied Harry very closely. After a few moments, he smiled a genuine smile to the lad. "Yes, Harry. You are correct. The answer is Time. You surprise me once again."

At that moment, Professor Snape entered the Dining Hall and took the same seat as the night before. Light conversation through the meal was pleasant, and when breakfast was all finished, Professor Snape bid his goodbyes and set off once again to the belly of the castle.

"Headmaster, where will our lessons be taught and what subjects will I be studying this summer?" Harry asked with anticipation.

With a small nod, Dumbledore reached into his robe and pulled out the small glass ball filled with the blue and silvery swirls that Harry noticed on the old man's desk the day before. Dumbledore placed the orb on the now cleaned tabletop (house elves are wonderful creatures) and looked at Harry.

"Harry, this is a Memory Holder. Think of it as a miniature version of the pensieve. It can only hold one memory at a time. The caster can hold the Memory Holder and transfer one memory into its depths. The caster will still retain the memory in his mind, but the memory within the orb can be shared with others. I will demonstrate by adding one of my memories into the holder, and sharing it with you. All that needs to be done is to hold the orb, say the spell "implantium memorandai" and think of the memory. When the memory you wish to implant is finished, end the spell with 'finite.' The swirls in the holder are normally blue and silver at rest. When a memory has been implanted into it, the swirls will change into green and gold."

Delighted at the thought of something so simple, but so amazing, Harry just said the only thing he could think to say, "Wow."

Dumbledore picked up the glass orb, muttered the spell, closed his eyes for a minute, and then said the ending spell. Immediately the swirls changed into a beautiful sea of green and gold swishing around inside the ball.

"Now, Harry, when you wish to see the memory that I have planted into the Memory Holder, simply pick it up from the table and hold it in your hands and say 'repondre' and the memory will play in your mind. Don't worry my boy, you won't be able to feel anything, but sometimes memories implanted can be quite vivid depending on the strength of the emotion behind the memory. Feel free to try it when you are ready."

Taking the small orb from the table, Harry noted it was a lot lighter than it looked. After gazing at the swirls for a moment or two, he nodded at Dumbledore and said 'repondre.'

As if a filmstrip was activated in his mind, Harry's vision blurred and he could see a beautiful field of dandelions. A light breeze was on his face and the smell of lilacs from somewhere. He turned and looked into the beautiful face of a young woman. A stand of flowers crowned her head and her light auburn hair fell about the shoulders of her white dress. She was barefoot and holding a hand. 'My hand' Harry thought. They walked together for a bit and she was smiling, laughing, and pulling me thru the flowered field. She stopped abruptly and bent down to pick up a small white rabbit. She held the rabbit up to her face and tickled its nose. Her smile was beautiful and it filled Harry's chest with warmth by just looking at her. The sun was so warm and joy filled Harry's heart at the sight of her walking thru the meadow. Then Harry's eye's blurred and he was looking the tabletop of the Dining Hall. His eyes darted to Dumbledore.

"Who was she? The girl? I saw her in a beautiful field...her hair...it smelled of lilac and I could feel the wind on my face and the sun on my skin. That was amazing..."

Dumbledore smiled. "That was my younger sister, Ariana, on her sixteenth birthday. We were at our parents' home. The white rabbit was named Picket. She found the rabbit and raised it. That was a most happy day years ago. Tell me, Harry, could you feel any emotion associated with that memory?"

Harry thought for a second. "Yeah, it was like I was happy to see her...well, like happy to see her after a long time. She made me happy. Like...well, like being with her had always made me happy." Harry thought for another moment before continuing. "There was something else though." Harry put his hands to his temples and closed his eyes remembering what he saw, and what he felt. "She was happy, but there was more to it. She had a feeling of...something...like...well like sadness too. I can feel that she is sad about something. Something was going to happen...something terrible." As the memory played repeatedly in Harry's mind, he began to ask the memory in his head...'why is she sad...what is going to happen to make her sad?' A sudden pain came to Harry's chest. She is dying. She knows she is dying and she is sad about this. These are some of the last days she lives. She wanted to see her brother before she died.

Harry looked at Dumbledore knowingly, and placed his hand on the old man's hands. He asked softly. "How did she die?"

"Ariana was always a very kind and very passionate young woman, but even at her birth her body was weak. She had an incurable disease and she lived much longer than we thought was even possible. Only a few months after this memory, Althea died and I was there with her. She told me to always remember her with that memory of us in that field of flowers. And as long as she is remembered in that field as a living soul, then she never truly leaves me."

Harry was touched by his Headmaster's words and with the valuable memory, which he had shared. "Thank you for sharing her with me, Professor. I will keep her alive with me also."

"Thank you, young Harry. Today I wanted to show you that this memory holder could hold memories inside it and release them upon command as a demonstration. Part of what I want to teach you is sometimes referred to as psychometric reading, but it goes much deeper than that. All the earth contains a constant flow of energy, Harry. This energy is life and it lives in each and every thing, plant or animal. This energy is not limited to living things. As the energy flows through us and around us, it also flows through objects and walls. You have it within yourself to use your magic to tap into the flow of this energy. With enough practice, you can sense things and even ask the energy questions. Tell me, Harry, have you ever been sitting in a crowded room and felt that someone was looking at you?"

Harry remembered memories of sitting at the Gryffindor table and feeling like someone was watching him. He looked up to see Malfoy staring a hole right thru him with a sneer creeping up his lip.

"Yeah, Malfoy. I mean, I would be sitting at breakfast and I just knew he was staring at me. It felt like a drill thru my head. Is that what you mean?"

"Exactly," the Headmaster replied. "That was before you knew how to read the energy, but you felt it. Some feelings are stronger than others are. With touching objects, usually one can feel only the last emotion felt while someone was touching it. However, that is not always the case. Sometimes one can feel the strongest emotion ever felt by the person who owned or touched the object. For example..."

Dumbledore pulled a key, a dried up inkwell, and a scarf from his pocket.

"Here are three objects on the table. I want you to look at all three of them very closely. Pick up one that seems to be giving you the strongest feeling and hold it. Concentrate on pushing your magic thru your hands into the object and drawing emotion from it. Don't be discouraged if you feel nothing from one thing. Pick them each up one at a time and take as long as you need with each. You may begin."

Harry sat and looked at each little thing on the objects over and over. After several minutes, he reached out for the inkwell. He held it in his hands then closed his eyes and tried to imagine himself pushing imaginary magic back and forth between his hands. A little tingling sensation formed in his fingertips and slowly a little filmstrip in his mind began...it was light in the room and papers were shuffling on a desk. A pair of dainty hands reaches out for the quill and dips it into the inkwell, a quill is writing, the letters are blurry, reach out again for the inkwell and I tipped it over. It spills over the side of the desk onto the floor. I reach out to pick it up and I am wearing a green cloak. Harry's mind blurred and the memory was gone.

"Sir, I saw...well a quill was writing...and I spilled the ink...it went onto the floor...it's a floor in a classroom...my sleeves were green...green....it was Professor McGonagall's inkwell. She spilled the ink on the floor when she was grading our assignments. Is that right?"

"Excellent, Harry, excellent. You are much better at this than I had hoped. Please, try again with the other objects. Take your time if you need it."

Harry placed the inkwell on the table and looked at the other objects. They were a small gold key and a little bundle of a white scarf. He stared at them each for a few minutes and he reached out for the key. Harry laid the key on his palm and covered it with the other palm. He felt his magic go thru the key and the memory began. The key is in my hand. I am reaching out with the key and placing it in a small lock...the lock is on a cabinet...no, it is on a box...it's a box filled with letters, a beautiful jewelry box. I laid the key on the desk and started looking at the letters...I see many letters, and I am angry. I read the words and I become more and more angry. I am filled with rage...hatred. I want to hurt him...I want to kill him. There is a sound...voices...I am startled...someone is coming. I throw the letters back into the chest and slam it shut. I am panicking now...what if I am caught...I grab the key and put it into my pocket. I am in a dark closet now...I am looking thru the part in the door. I see a young lady come into the room and take off her sun hat...I am scared she'll find me. She sits to start brushing her long hair...she can't find me here...she can't...oh no...She's coming to the closet...

"Harry! Harry!"

Harry's memory abruptly stopped and he awoke to find Dumbledore above him. Harry is lying on the floor with the key gripped in his hand and he's breathing as if he's run a race.

"What the hell was that?! I had the key....I opened the jewelry box....the letters made me so angry...I wanted to kill someone....a lady came in the room and I thought she'd find me...I hid and I was afraid. What happened to me? And why am I on the floor?" Harry stared up into Dumbledore's kind face for the answers.

"Harry, I had to show you that not all memories are pleasant. Your reaction to a strong negative imprint on an object has to be controlled or you will lose yourself to the emotion printed onto it. It will help you if you clear your mind of thought before you try to draw energy from something and try to ground yourself in the present moment before letting yourself get caught up within the memory itself."

Dumbledore picked up the scarf and placed it back in his pocket. "That's quite good for today Harry. Using your magic this way has a draining effect on you. That will be all for our morning lesson. You have a bit of time before lunch and after our meal, we'll work on a few other things that I think you will enjoy. You are dismissed."

Harry stood and handed Dumbledore the small key and hoped he'd never see the thing again. With a nod to Dumbledore, Harry walked from the Great Hall out into the daylight and across the lawn toward the lake.


End file.
